Hello again! Okay, we're into Week #2 of NanoWriMo, and I'm sure everyone is whizzing along . . . er, maybe? We're still contending with the time change -- at least for the majority of the United States -- and that could be posing problems for your pace and stamina. For me, it's the loss of light in the late afternoon. I hate the encroaching darkness at 4:30pm (sunset here on the East Coast) and can get depressed, fidgety and feeling confined. For others, it's the morning that affects them. Either way, it's there and we have to contend with it.
What are the experts reporting these days?
The time change may not be the real culprit. Sure, we'll make some adjustments in our daily routines, but here are some of the things that are part of our daily life that may be almost invasive without realizing it.
> Digital detox expert Tanya Goodin reports that "sleepless nights may be caused by the constant blue light that shines from screen-based devices, which interferes with the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone." (Stop Staring at Screens, Ilex Press). If you're on your laptop or PC or phone writing for NanoWriMo, you're spending quite a few hours a day with that blue light. Add in your job hours, if applicable, and that's more blue light.
Solution? Experts suggest putting away devices at least one hour before going to bed. Dim the house lights. Read a book. There was a time when I was under stress with family and work that I'd read poetry for a half-hour before bed. Maybe step outside and gaze up at the stars on a clear night, taking deep breaths of fresh air.
Put the Phone Down
> Goodin also notes the constant interruptions that smartphones heap on us throughout the day -- dings, beeps and pop-ups that pull us away from what we're doing -- even driving, which is scary -- interrupts our concentration. How can we write a novel if we're continually distracted?
Solution? Disable some of these automated notifications. Put the phone face down, lower the sound. Stick it in a drawer and give yourself permission to be beep-free for an hour, maybe more, particularly if you're writing.
Last tip on sleep patterns
In a recent issue of Forks over Knives magazine, it reported that the JAMA Psychiatry (May 2021) studied over 840,000 people to better understand how chronotype, the preference for going to bed and waking a certain time, influences depression risk. They found that people genetically predisposed to wake up early were significantly less likely to experience depression than their counterparts who chose to sleep later. Going to bed an hour earlier and waking an hour earlier than you normally would could cut depression risk by 23%. Increase that to two hours and the risk is reduced to 40%.
I'm not saying writers tend to be depressed, but during this 30-day marathon we will hit slumps that are sometimes difficult to get out of. Call it writer's block, but when it hits, the tendency to walk away from your writing, to feel like you have nothing to contribute to the readers, is a slippery slope. A day becomes two days, then three, and before you know it, you've given up. Why bother?
So, going back to my original premise about sustaining your physical and mental stamina during these weeks is important. A good night's sleep is important. Maintaining your sense of balance is important. Giving yourself permission to block the continual waves of social media and technology is important.
Balance = Stamina = Sustainability
See you next week. Happy Writing! Claire H.
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